The Box
by TheFirstAvenger21
Summary: The team finds a strange object in the middle of the night. But when something happens to Ianto, how will Jack react? Chapter 4 is rated M, hence the rating change, but the rest is T. Warning: some violence and mentions of rape/sexual abuse in chapter 4,, but nothing too graphic! Janto, might be a bad summary but ehh.
1. Chapter 1

**So ik I'm posting this really soon after my last fic, but I had a lot of free time and I couldn't get this idea out of my head. Next chapter will be up within the next few days, and idk how many there will be yet. But don't worry there will be LOTS of Janto. ENJOY, let me know if you like it with that little review button there.**

**oh by the way, I don't own Torchwood or anything yadda yadda yadda. You know the drill**

They'd been looking for over an hour, and Ianto was beginning to suspect that Tosh's rift monitor program had screwed up. The dark, abandoned beach seemed even darker to him, and there was something ominous about it that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Tosh? Owen? Gwen? Anything?" Jack's voice came from behind him, and Ianto turned to look at his Captain, standing in full boss mode, with an intense stare on his face. God, he was so hot when he looked like that, he thought. No, he had to stop. They were working, looking for some random alien piece of technology that could potentially bring the world to its knees if it was found by the wrong person. But looking at Jack, he found himself forgetting about all of that and thinking back to the night before, to Jack's lips on every inch of his skin and screaming his name over and over-

No. Back to work. "We've been here for over an hour sir, and haven't seen anything. Maybe Tosh's program was wrong?"

"I heard that, Ianto," came Tosh's voice through his comm, her voice icy. "I double and triple checked the calculations before we came out here. It's here, all right, it's just a question of where and what it is exactly."

As Tosh's voice faded over the comm Jack took a step towards him. "What's the rush, Ianto?" Another step. "Something else you would rather be doing?" Another step. Their faces were inches apart now, and Ianto forced himself to think about anything other than Jack's body pressed up against his. He knew where that would lead.

They had to work, but not before Ianto stole a quick kiss from Jack's lips. "Yes. But later. Work comes first."

"Oh, you're no fun," Jack pouted. But he reluctantly stepped away from Ianto and the two continued looking for the mysterious artifact.

"Hey, cheer up. We're almost done here and then you can have your way with me."

"I'll hold you to that."

They kept walking in a comfortable silence, and Ianto realized that if they were actually a normal couple, if they didn't work for Torchwood, this would actually be kind of romantic. He and Jack, wandering aimlessly on a beach in the middle of the night…

Something silver and shiny caught his eye in the dirt just ahead of them. "Jack, I think I see it." He walked over and saw what appeared to be a jewelry box, though clearly not from Earth. The box was black, but covered with intricate silver markings that vaguely resembled Celtic knotwork. Though the inscriptions running round the edges of the box were clearly alien, and they caused a slight shiver to run up Ianto's spine.

"Toshiko, Gwen, Owen, We've found it. Meet us back at the SUV." Jack took Ianto's free hand as they walked back along the beach. "Kinda romantic don't you think? Walking along a beach in the middle of the night. Though, if I had my way we wouldn't be working," said JAck, flashing Ianto a seductive grin.

Ianto was startled that the immortal's thoughts mirrored his own. "Didn't take you for the romantic type sir," he said, and he swore he could see a wistful expression on Jack's face for a second.

"Only on special occasions. Like with you," Jack said with a wink. They reached the SUV, and Ianto couldn't help but grin from ear to ear at Jack's comment.

"I know you found the artifact, but you shouldn't be so bloody happy about it, Ianto." Owen's voice startled them both, as he, Gwen and Tosh walked over. They crowded around Jack and Ianto to get a better look at their prize.

"Okay, I know it's alien and probably dangerous, but it's just so pretty!" Tosh laughed.

"Let's get it back to the Hub. I don't know about you lot, but I don't really like the idea of standing out here in the middle of the night and staring at this thing," Ianto said as they all climbed into the SUV.

* * *

Back at the Hub, Ianto placed the box on the autopsy table. The others had gone home, and they would run tests on the… whatever it was, in the morning. Jack was in his office, waiting to hold Ianto to his promise as soon as the younger man powered down the Hub. He stopped for a few minutes and stared at the box in front of him, and it struck him just how harmless the thing actually looked. _It does look kind of pretty_, he thought as a silvery shine caught the light and almost made it sparkle.

He reached out to touch the center gently. He froze as a small click signaled the box was opening, and a shimmering, purple vapor flew out and enveloped Ianto in it's could.

His last thought was _oh shit_ before he crumpled to the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm really sorry this update took so long! I've been so so busy this week I really haven't had any time at all. Anyway, I hope you like it, and the next update should be up within a couple of days now that I have a bit more time on my hands. Let me know what you think with a tiny little button called review! Enjoy.**

Jack was getting impatient. Ianto was a tease, but he wasn't THIS bad. He wanted Jack just as badly as Jack wanted him, that much was clear. His impatience got the better of him as he padded out of his office in search of the Welshman.

"Ianto?" he called out. "I know you like to play hard to get, but this is a bit much." When Ianto didn't answer, Jack started to worry, and it wasn't until he walked into the medical bay that he saw the younger man on the floor, eyes closed, the alien box open on the autopsy table.

"Yan!" He ran over to Ianto in shock, turning him over and feeling for a pulse. He found one, but it was weak, and he was breathing extremely fast, almost hyperventilating. Jack hurriedly got out his mobile and hit 3.

"Come on. Pick up, pick up, pick up…" Jack murmured, his heart pounding.

On the fourth ring he heard the familiar London drawl. "This better be bloody fucking important Harkness. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Owen, Ianto's hurt," Jack said, hoping he didn't sound as worried as he felt. "Something happened with that alien box we found earlier. Get over here now!"

Owen was instantly awake, in full Torchwood mode. He could tell it was something serious, and he rushed to get dressed. Jack was panicking, and that truly scared him. Jack NEVER panicked.

"I'll be there in 10."

* * *

30 minutes later, Ianto was still unconscious, stripped down to his underwear while Owen ran tests on both him and the box. Jack had sat by his lover's side the whole time, his hand never letting go of Ianto's. His other hand was stroking the younger man's hair as he murmured soothing nonsense into his ear.

"Jack." Owen watched as Jack looked up. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, and his pale face betrayed just how worried he was. His heart went out to the immortal; even if he didn't exactly see eye to eye with Jack sometimes, he could tell he really did care about Ianto, and he would hate to see what would happen if they couldn't save him. "I have the test results back."

Jack stood up suddenly, but kept hold of Ianto's hand. "Well? What happened to him? Is he going to be okay?"

"Jack, you might want to sit down," Owen said in a whisper, trying his best not to notice the fear and pain in the Captain's eyes as he took his seat once again. He took a deep breath.

"His heart rate is normal, and there aren't any signs of internal or external injury. His blood pressure is elevated and his breathing is fast and erratic, but nothing life threatening at the moment. The box contained trace amounts of gases, so I analyzed the contents. Whatever is inside Ianto's body is definitely not a sentient life form, so we can rule out possession or parasites. But I don't think he's in the clear until whatever it is leaves his system entirely."

"But why hasn't he regained consciousness yet?" Jack had relaxed a little when Owen said Ianto's condition wasn't life threatening, but he still had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"No idea. I'm running a comparative check against the known substances in the archives to see if I can get a better idea of what we're dealing with, but until then, your guess is as good as mine as to when he'll wake up."

As if on cue, Ianto let out a low moan. Jack looked down at his lover's face and saw an expression of intense pain that broke his heart. He ran a hand across Ianto's forehead. "Shh, I'm here, Yan. What's wrong with him Owen?" Jack couldn't keep the raw panic from his voice.

"I don't know! Physically, nothing's changed, but he's been having unusual spikes in brainwave activity for the past five minutes." The two men heard a low ping sound from the computer. "That'll be the test results," Owen said as he scanned the information on the screen. "Christ…"

"Well? What's wrong? What are we dealing with?"

"Well I was right. The gas that's inside Ianto isn't an alien life form. The box belongs to a race called the Xanos. They specialize in psychic manipulation. It was used in the prisons on their planet."

"Prisons? What does it do?" Jack asked, his face growing paler and paler.

"Jack…" Owen paused, his face almost as white as Jack's. "It's a torture device."


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, Guys! I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, but I am actually getting ready to go to my college orientation, so I won't be able to update for a little while! I wanted to at least give you guys something to keep you busy before I went away, even if it's only a little bit. Thought I'd take pity and explain that cliffhanger for you :P**

**Anyway, I just want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing this story! This has been my most popular fic by far, and it's the first one where I've gotten reviews and followers in the double digits! It really means a lot to me guys, so thank you, thank you THANK YOU! Enjoy, and I'll update sometime next week! next chapter will be extra long to make up for this one, I promise! 3**

Jack felt as if he'd been stabbed. "A… a torture device?" He gripped Ianto's hand tighter.

"Yes Jack. The Xanos specialize in psychological warfare. Boxes like this one contain powerful hallucinogens that are absorbed into the bloodstream of prisoners. They induce a coma-like state that traps the victim within their own mind, forcing him to endure hours of psychological torment until the gas has run its course. On a Xanos it can take hours to clear the bloodstream, but in a human there's no telling how long it will be."

"Oh God…" Jack got up and took the alien box in his hands, running his fingers over the markings in the center. "I… I thought this seemed familiar. I couldn't put my finger on it until now, but I've seen this before." He shuddered. "It was before I came here. I was a different person back then, and I got mixed up with a crew that used to use these things for fun. They would round up people we had bad blood with and test these things on them. What they went through… I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy." Tears were beginning to spill over and he didn't bother to brush them away. "God, Yan…"

Owen walked over and put a hand on the captain's shoulder. "All we can do now is wait. And try our best to help him." It broke his heart to see Jack like this. He was a wreck, and there was nothing Owen or anyone else could do about it. The worst bloody part about being a doctor and I can't get away from it, he thought. He walked out of the medical bay, trying to give the two lovers some privacy.

Jack planted a tender kiss on Ianto's forehead. "I'm here, Yan. Whatever that thing's doing to you, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, I'll be right here with you, I promise. I'll be right here when you wake up."


	4. Chapter 4

**Ooookay, so this chapter is extra-long, just like I promised! I wasn't terribly thrilled with how it came out, and let me tell you, it was terribly hard to write, but I hope you like it! Bit of context: this takes place entirely in Ianto's mind. Fair warning, this chapter is M RATED and gets very dark, with mentions of rape/sexual and physical abuse, but nothing too graphic (so sorry to all you Ianto lovers, this will be hard to read) but don't worry, I promise you all an abundance of Janto feels and a happy ending by the last chapter! Sorry for the wait, and enjoy! Reviews are appreciated as always! :P**

Ianto opened his eyes hesitantly. He was standing in the middle of the Hub, the rest of the team nowhere to be found. "Jack?" he called out hesitantly. He couldn't remember exactly why he was in the middle of the Hub; it was all a bit of a blur. The last thing he remembered was touching that alien box, so how in the world had he ended up here? He walked quickly over to the medical bay. Frowning, he looked at the spotless autopsy bay table, the box conveniently absent from its previous resting place. Now he was starting to feel a little uneasy. What happened to him?

"Jack?" he called out again. "Gwen? Tosh? Anyone?"

"Ianto?" He glanced upwards suddenly and sighed with relief when he saw the Captain standing a few feet away. "What's up?"

"Thank God. What's going on? How did I get here?"

"What do you mean? You've been here for the past few hours, cleaning up after the rest of us and making coffee. Just like you always do."

"Oh, er… right." The more he thought about it, the more he could picture the day's events clearly. Just like any other day really. Sitting in the tourist office, filing paperwork, doing other mundane chores. He sighed again, though he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was seriously wrong here. It was similar to déjà vu. _Probably nothing,_ he thought.

"Jack?" Gwen walked down the stairs, a worried frown on her face. "What's going on?" She caught sight of Ianto and made a disgusted face. "What are you doing talking to _him_ for? I would think you had better things to do." Without waiting for an answer, she walked up to stand next to Jack, turning his face to hers and planting a searing kiss on his lips without warning.

Jack, ignoring Ianto's expression of shock and hurt, wrapped his arms around her and responded enthusiastically, pulling her close and deepening the kiss, as if he had forgotten Ianto was there. Ianto felt himself shatter in two at the sight. _No… no, no, no. Not this, anything but this. Jack loves me, he promised, he cares about me. He came back for me, he said so._ Even as he formed the thought, though, he replayed those moments between Jack and Gwen, moments where he could clearly see the attraction between the two. He felt his eyes start to fill with tears, but he blinked them back, refusing to let them see him cry. "What the fucking hell, Jack! What the fuck are you doing!"

The couple broke apart, both with confused expressions on their faces. "Umm," said Jack, putting an arm around Gwen, "I'm kissing my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Ianto's jaw hit the floor. "What about me! You bloody cheated on me?"

Jack and Gwen exchanged looks of disbelief, before both bursting into hysterical laughter. "You?" said Jack, wiping tears from his eyes. "Uhh, I don't know where you've been for the past couple of years, Ianto, but there is no us, never has been. It was just some sick fantasy of yours. I was never attracted to you, not at all. I love Gwen, so much so that she left Rhys and has been living with me for the past few months, and we're getting married in two months. Move on Ianto."

"Oh, come on," chimed in Gwen. "You and Jack? Give me a break. You're just a butler! You don't even belong here. The rest of us are useful, we all have a place on this team. But you? You're nothing. You're just here to clean up after us and do the chores. And you thought the great Jack Harkness would even look twice at you?" She laughed maniacally. "You really are thick."

Ianto could only stare, his mouth open and tears silently streaming down his face. He watched Jack place another kiss on Gwen's lips just as Tosh and Owen arrived together, taking in the scene.

"Oh, what's happened now, did the coffee machine break? Did someone mess up the precious archives?" asked Owen, sneering in contempt.

"Ianto here," said Jack, "was under the impression that he and I were in a relationship. Gwen and I were setting him straight." Owen and Tosh joined in the laughter that ensued, watching Ianto's face crumble even more.

"Why are we even bothering to talk to him? He's not even our friend. He's our maid." Owen smirked.

Even Tosh, Ianto's best friend at Torchwood Three besides Jack, was laughing. "All he's good for is making coffee- he belongs at a Starbucks, not chasing aliens. And he managed to screw up the one field mission he was sent on! I mean, he can't do anything right."

Ianto had no words. He felt completely gutted, as if someone had just ripped the world out from under his feet. _Was this really how they thought of me? Just a useless, good-for-nothing tea boy?_ He was shaking from head to toe, the same small voice in the back of his mind whispering, _useless, worthless, nothing _over and over again. Just when he thought this twisted conversation may have some mercy, Gwen started to speak again.

"Not only that, but he betrayed us, all of us. He hid a cybergirl in the basement, for Christ's sake! None of us ever forgave you for that, Teaboy. We all hated you since then. You threatened all of us, threatened the world, and you expected us to just forgive you?" she scoffed.

Lisa. They had to bring Lisa into this too. Still lost for words, Ianto did nothing but stand there and listen to the chorus of insults thrown at him from the other three. His eyes were red and puffy from crying by now, and he did the only thing he could think of to get away from the situation. He turned and ran, out the cog door and through the tourist office, trying his best to block out the chorus of laughter that echoed behind him.

He ran as fast and as far as his legs would take him, not caring where he ended up. He didn't know how long he had been running when he finally stopped, finding himself in a dark, deserted alleyway. It was then that he fell to his knees, putting his head in his hands and letting his grief consume him. His entire world was crashing down around his knees, and there was nothing he could do about it. He could never go back to Torchwood, not after this. He would have to go somewhere, find a new job, new friends, and start a new life.

Still crying, Ianto felt his body tense as he heard a small noise behind him. Turning around, he saw the figure of a man watching him from the front of the alley, beginning to walk towards him. "Well, well, well," the man said. "What do we have here?"

The mysterious figure came into view and Ianto's face turned deathly pale. This was something out of his worst nightmares, and he felt like he was back in the man's meat locker all over again, being "tenderized."

Ewan came closer to Ianto and smiled. "Fresh meat," he growled, pulling out a baseball bat and bringing it down over Ianto's back. He cried out, doubling over in pain, but the blows kept coming, swing after swing until the pale wood was stained bright red with Ianto's blood and he was barely conscious. Just as Ewan was about to deliver the killing blow and put him out of his misery, a strong voice rang out into the night. "Get away from him!"

Ianto looked up in disbelief, through blood and tears, to see the angry face of his sister Rhiannon, and his heart soared. Finally, his luck had changed. Something had gone right on what was arguably the worst night of his life. Rhiannon wasn't armed, but oddly enough, Ewan just smiled and nodded, hoisting Ianto up and tossing him unceremoniously to the floor in front of his sister. He was a sobbing, shaking mess, covered in blood, but Rhiannon lifted him up and put an arm around his waist. "Come on, Yan," she murmured, pulling him through the empty streets.

They had been walking for about twenty minutes, and the pain was becoming unbearable for Ianto. Every inch of his body was bruised, bloodied and sore, and he suspected he had a few broken bones. "Rhi," he said, panting, "Where exactly are we going?"

"Not far now, Yan."

_Understatement of the year,_ he thought. They walked in silence until they stopped in front of Rhiannon's flat. She squeezed his hand reassuringly and moved to unlock the door, but before she could, it swung open, and Ianto was faced with someone he hoped he would never have to lay eyes on ever again.

_No, please. Please, God not this too. Please. I thought it was over. I needed it to be over. How could he have found us?!_ His expression was one of shock and horror, and he knew Rhiannon would be wearing an identical one. Before either of them could make a move, the man grabbed them roughly and pulled them into the flat, slamming the door and locking it behind them. He had both of them by the hair, and roughly tossed them to the floor. Ianto could smell the alcohol on his breath. It was as if he was a child again, cowering in fear in the corner of his room, praying that he wouldn't find him. It was inevitable though. He would barge in, having already "dealt with" his mother, drunk to high heaven and screaming that he and his sister were "naughty little buggers who had to be treated like the no good sluts they were." Then he would unzip his pants and do unspeakable things to his two twelve year old children, one at a time, or both together. He finally left, put it behind him, but now he had been found, and was probably going to be punished. Severely.

"Well, well, well," his father slurred. "Lookie what we have here. Couple of no good, deadbeat, ungrateful children who thought they could get away from their old man. Well, little ungrateful buggers, I guess I'm going to have to show you who the man of this house is!"

He stared at the two Joneses with an evil smirk on his face as he removed his belt. He looked at Ianto, then Rhiannon, then back, as if making a last minute decision, then flipped Rhiannon over onto her back and roughly lifting up her shirt. Ignoring Ianto's screams of protest, he began to whip her, fast and violently, until she was all but begging him to stop, tears flowing down her face.

"Please… please don't hurt her." His voice was barely a whimper. "Please! Leave her alone!"

His father turned to look at him. "Well, Yanni boy! Trying to be a little hero eh? Well, you're not a hero. You're nothing." He took a step towards Ianto, and the younger man cringed back in fear. "You're nothing but a little faggot who thinks he's a big shot. Well, boy, a faggot gets what he deserves."

Before he knew it his father had him by the hair, dragging him towards Rhiannon's bedroom, ignoring her screams in the background. He threw Ianto roughly onto the bed, slamming the back of his head into the headboard. He felt his vision going fuzzy, and all he wanted was for this crazy, twisted, nightmare to end, for something to put him out of his misery. He felt himself fading fast, and he could hear his father's laughter echoing through the flat. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was his father, reaching down with one hand to undo his belt, the other hand reaching for his son. He saw an expression of pure hatred, of loathing, before he closed his eyes and his world faded to a painless black.


	5. Chapter 5

**I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I've been on vacation and I just got back a couple of days ago! Anyway IT'S FINALLY FINISHED! Once again, a HUGE thank you to everyone who read this and followed, favorited, or reviewed! It really means a lot to me :)**

**PS: I wasn't really thrilled with the way this came out, but I've been having massive writers block lately with this story. But don't worry! there's another big story coming for all you Torchwood/Who fans! Thanks so much again!**

Jack had no idea how long he sat there, stroking trembling fingers through Ianto's hair as he waited for his lover to wake up. Owen had gone home after giving the monitors a once over and proclaiming that his patient wasn't in any immediate danger, with orders to call him if anything changes. But still Ianto slept, shivering, with sweat dripping down his forehead and pained moans escaping his lips every now and then. It broke Jack's heart to see the younger man so helpless, so vulnerable, and what was worse was that there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

A sudden groan from the table broke Jack out of his thoughts, and he immediately grabbed hold of Ianto's hand and planted a tender kiss to his forehead. "Ianto? Ianto? Can you hear me? Its okay, Yan. You're safe."

"Jack?" Ianto said timidly.

As an answer, Jack simply lifted his lover off the autopsy table and crushed him against his chest, burying his face into Ianto's shoulder. "Welcome back, Yan" he said, smiling.

"Jack? Er… where's Gwen?" Ianto asked, awkwardly breaking away from Jack's embrace as the memories of the past few hours came flooding back to him.

"Gwen? Why would you ask that? She's home, everyone is. It's the middle of the night."

"She's probably wondering where you are." Ianto turned away abruptly, not wanting the captain to see the tears rapidly filling his eyes. He squeezed them shut in an attempt to keep them at bay.

"Er… what?"

"That's what tends to happen when you're dating someone, sir." He stood up and walked across the autopsy bay, wrapping his arms around himself as he felt the tears start to drench his face.

"Ianto, what…?" Jack walked closer, wrapping his arms around the younger man's waist, ignoring how he seemed to stiffen in surprise. "I want you. I'm dating you, not Gwen," he whispered gently.

"But… before. I saw…" Ianto turned around, tears streaming freely down his face now. Jack suddenly understood, and reached up to brush them away.

"Shhh, Yan. You were hallucinating. Remember that box we found? It contained a powerful gas, designed to plant horrible false memories inside the first person it sees. None of it was real, I promise."

"It seemed so real… You, Gwen, my dad… I- I thought you didn't want me anymore."

Jack pulled Ianto close, running his hands across his back in soothing circles. "Shh… I'm not going anywhere, Yan."

"Prove it."

And that's when their lips met in a tender, loving kiss. Both men poured all their emotions into it, wanting to give as much love as they received. After what felt like an eternity they broke apart, Ianto looking much happier than he had been a few minutes ago.

Jack took advantage of the moment. "What did you see, Yan?"

He thought back to the last few hours, everything he saw, everything that happened, and shuddered. "Later."

Jack nodded, pulling Ianto closer again, bringing his head against his chest. There would be time enough later for Ianto to tell his story, but for now Jack was happy he was safe, and sound Pulling Ianto down to his sleeping quarters, Jack intended to show him just how much.


End file.
